NGO raps cargo open skies pact

The Save Our Skies (SOS) movement, a non-government organization, has denounced the signing by the government of a cargo open skies agreement with Singapore, Thailand and Brunei, saying it was clouded with secrecy as aviation stakeholders were not consulted on the move.

"The signing of the agreement is the start of the death of the local aviation industry," said Robert Lim Joseph, president of SOS, which is made up of cargo forwarders as well as travel and tour operators.

Joseph said the Philippines has nothing to gain from the agreement since there is not much cargo from Singapore, Thailand and Brunei.

"The beneficiaries of the agreement are only the airlines of the three countries since they will be able to share in the cargo traffic of Philippine carriers," he pointed out.

"At the rate the government is giving up our rights, there is nothing left to local carriers," Joseph stressed. He said the "only way to save our skies is to elect a new President."

The SOS president blamed the foreign-funded lobby group Freedom to Fly Coalition (FFC) and its AGILE (Accelerating Growth, Investment and Liberalization with Equity) cohorts for this latest debacle by the local aviation industry.

"We see the hands of FFC and the US-funded AGILE in this latest sell-out by the government," he said.

According to Joseph, the signing of the cargo open skies pact with the three countries was also aimed at taking away the pressure from the United States," which is being criticized for the lopsided RP-US open skies agreement.

"What will prevent other countries now from seeking open skies agreement with the Philippines?" he asked.

He said even if these countries do not need yet an open skies relationship with the Philippines, they will try to bargain for such an agreement for future use.

"Whatever bargaining position the Philippines has, we have already given this away," he added.

Published reports said under the agreement signed by the Philippines with Singapore, Thailand and Brunei, passenger and cargo airlines from these countries will have the right to mount cargo flights to any third country without limitation on capacity, frequency, route and aircraft type.

The pact also gives their carriers the right to assign another foreign airline to mount flights on their behalf without any limitation on capacity and frequency.

Earlier, three labor groups – the National Alliance of Federated Labor Unions (NAFLU), National Labor Union (NLU) and Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) – have filed a petition with the Manila Regional Trial Court seeking to nullify and declare unconstitutional Executive Order No. 253.

EO 253 provides for a cargo open skies policy in the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark Field, Pampanga, and Subic Bay International Airport in Subic, Zambales.